Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes

The Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes was first run in 1951 at Caulfield race course and has been held there ever since. It has undergone several changes of name. It is also known as the Invitation Stakes. It has also been called the Victoria Cup, the Eat Well Live Well Cup, and the Marlboro Cup. The race was upgraded to Group 1 status in 1979.

Major Sir Rupert Clarke was a well-known businessman, socialite and racing enthusiast. He was chairman of Victoria Amateur Turf (now Melbourne Racing Club) from 1972 – 1988. He was a successful owner and breeder of horses. He also had an interest in a Queensland ranch of three million acres. He was a director of Australia National Bank for 36 years, a director of Cadbury Schweppes, and Chairman of P&O, and United Distillers in Australia.

In addition, he was president of the Royal Humane Society of Australia, and honorary consul general for Monaco in Melbourne. He died on February 4th 2005, aged 85.

Race Details

Run over 1,400 metres, the race is a sprint, Group 1, Open Handicap with prize money totalling $400,000. This year, the race will take place on Saturday, September 26th.

Some great horses have figured on the winner’s podium in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, including Poetic King (1994), Our Maizcay (1995), Encosta De Lago (1996), Testa Rossa (1999 and 2000), and Exceed & Excel in 2003.

The top jockeys in the past few years have been the familiar names of Craig Williams and Damien Oliver. Oliver having no fewer than six wins to his credit, to Williams four.

When placing bets, a good form guide is the Bobby Lewis Quality run a few weeks earlier than the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

The race is also known as a good lead in for the Toorak Handicap and the Cox Plate. Many of the horses that run in one of these three events go on to bigger things in October.

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Betting

As always, in races like this, the online bookies will be vying with each other for your business and will no doubt be offering some very nice deals. It is worthwhile to have a look at the various different betting options in order to find the one that suits you best. For those who are also into lay betting, there will almost certainly be the opportunity to lock in a profit before the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes begins.

If you are searching online for the race, remember that it is also known as the Invitation Stakes. If you cannot find it under one name, you will certainly find it under the other.

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